D-Day: Normandy 1944

Movie admission: today
through Sunday: $7.50, or $5.50
for members, $3.75 for military
family members and free for active
military personnel; Monday
through Oct. 19: $7.50, or $6 for
active military members and
$5.50 for members; does not
include COSI admission; movie
can be incorporated into COSI
admission

As a child living in postwar France, Pascal Vuong knew the importance of D-Day.

“Just after the war, there were many movies devoted to war and World War II,” he said. “I grew up in my mind that it was something important in our history.”

Today, filmmaker Vuong wants to ensure that modern children are aware of the sacrifices made during World War II — especially on June 6, 1944. That day, American, British and Canadian troops gained a foothold on the beaches of Normandy, taking the first step in driving occupying German forces back across the Rhine.

By the end of the day, about 10,000 Allied soldiers had been killed, wounded or were missing.

Vuong’s movie, D-Day: Normandy 1944, is showing in 3-D on the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater at COSI Columbus through Oct. 19.

While touching on the 10 months from D-Day to V-E Day (Victory in Europe), the film focuses on the events of June 6.

Although not a children’s movie, the film is appropriate for many youths.

“The values of the film — courage, competence, commitment — that is not only war,” Vuong said, “it’s good for all of your life.”

The film is rated for all ages, but the topic might overwhelm the youngest viewers.

“To intellectually take it in, I would say age 8 and up,” said Chris Hurtubise, movie-program coordinator for COSI.

Clocking in at less than an hour, D-Day: Normandy 1944 examines strategy rather than warfare. Archival photographs, computer-generated imagery, cartography and sand animation interspersed with live re-enactments explain the planning, technology and execution of the invasion.

“They took something incredibly complex,” Hurtubise said, “told it in 45 minutes and made you want to know more.”

Bloodshed isn’t the focus. The few battlefield scenes are depicted through sand animation and one tasteful photograph depicting citizens tending to a battlefield casualty.

“It was my way to show war and to show strong moments of the events,” Vuong said, “but the kids — I had to show war, but without shocking the kids.

“War is violent and war is gory. War is bad. I had to find my way to tell the story without showing the blood and showing too much violence.”

Instead, children might gain a sense of the toll through overhead scenes of the beautiful French cemeteries that became the final resting place for thousands of soldiers.

Journalist Tom Brokaw narrates the movie. Brokaw — author of The Greatest Generation, which tells the stories of American men and women who fought World War II on the battlefield and on the homefront — seemed a natural choice.

With just 10 minutes of his film completed, Vuong flew to New York to recruit the newsman.

“When he saw the first 10 minutes,” Vuong said, “he said, ‘You want me to be the narrator? I will do that because I think it’s important for the new generations to see that.’ ”

With Friday marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day, time is becoming critical, Vuong said.

“. . . (Veterans) are more than 90 years old, so more of them are dying every day, so it will be the very last commemoration with many of them there,” Vuong said.

And younger generations need to appreciate their freedom, he said.

“The world war was terrible,” Vuong said. “Perhaps they have to remember what their family did 70 years ago, to gain Europe liberty. It was very hard to do that. That’s the main thing you have to do, to bring the youth to think that it is very important.

“They don’t know that, because peace and liberty seem very natural. It seems very given to us, but it’s not. We have to fight and die for our liberty and peace.”